Virginia Bus Crash Driver Hit With More Charges as Victims' Families Grieve
Prosecutors in Virginia announced Monday that the driver of a tour bus that plowed into slowed traffic on Interstate 95 last week, killing five people, has been indicted on additional involuntary manslaughter charges. The new counts bring the total to five felonies, each carrying a potential 10-year prison sentence.
Jing Sheng Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York, was initially charged Saturday with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Stafford Commonwealth District Attorney Eric Olsen said Monday that a grand jury returned three more felony counts, along with a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving. Dong remained hospitalized Monday from injuries sustained in the crash and will be transferred to Rappahannock Regional Jail upon release, according to Olsen.
The crash occurred around 2:35 a.m. on May 30 in Stafford County, about 40 miles south of Washington, D.C. Virginia State Police said traffic was slowing in the southbound lanes approaching a highway work zone when the bus, operated by E&P Travel of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, failed to slow down and rear-ended a Chevrolet Suburban. That collision triggered a chain reaction involving six vehicles.
Four people inside an Acura SUV — a family from Greenfield, Massachusetts — died at the scene. They were identified as Dmitri Doncev, 45; his wife, Ecterina, 44; their daughter, Emily, 13; and their son, Mark, 7. The family was traveling to a wedding in South Carolina. The fifth victim, Priscilla Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was pronounced dead in the Suburban.
Nearly four dozen passengers were injured, including Dong. The National Transportation Safety Board joined Virginia State Police in investigating the crash, which has reignited concerns about bus safety on long-distance routes and the risks of driver fatigue in overnight travel. Federal records show E&P Travel had a satisfactory safety rating as of its last review, though advocates say the early-morning timing of the crash underscores the need for stricter rest requirements.
Prosecutors have not disclosed a possible motive or whether Dong had prior violations. His next court appearance is expected after he is formally booked. The case has drawn attention to the growing frequency of multi-vehicle pileups in highway work zones, where sudden speed changes often catch drivers off guard.